Henry Clark Corbin (September 15, 1842 – September 8, 1909) was an officer in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
who served as
Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1898 to 1904.
Life and career
He was born in
Monroe Township, Clermont County, Ohio
Monroe Township, founded June 9, 1825, is one of the fourteen townships of Clermont County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,531 at the 2020 census. The birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant is located in Point Pleasant, an unincorporated c ...
, He was educated at the
Clermont Academy
Clermont Academy is a historic school building located at Clermont in Columbia County, New York. It was built in 1834 and is a two-story, five bay frame building in the Federal style. It features a gable roof with centrally located octagonal c ...
. Corbin was teaching school and studying law when the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
broke out. Corbin volunteered as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...
in the
83rd Ohio Infantry
The 83rd Ohio Infantry Regiment, sometimes 83rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 83rd OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was nicknamed "The Greyhound Regiment".
Service
The 83rd Ohio Infantry was organiz ...
in July 1862 and transferred to the
79th Ohio Infantry the next month. In November 1863 he was commissioned a
major
Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...
in the
14th United States Colored Infantry. He eventually rose to be
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
and
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
of this regiment, and participated in the
Battle of Decatur and
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1 ...
. He was mustered out in March 1866.
After the war, he became a First Class Companion of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...
, a military society composed of Union officers and their descendants.
In May 1866 he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the
17th Infantry
The 17th Infantry (The Loyal Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. It was formed at Phillour in 1858 by Major J. C. Innes from men of the 3rd, 36th and 61st Bengal Native Infantry regimen ...
of the
Regular Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following:
* a standin ...
. He was promoted to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the 38th Infantry, a
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This nickname was given to the Black Cavalry by Native American tribes who fought in th ...
regiment, in July 1866. The 38th Infantry was consolidated with the 41st Infantry to form the
24th Infantry in November 1869.
![Brazilian Aeronautical Commission](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Brazilian_Aeronautical_Commission.JPG)
Corbin was appointed to the official staff of President
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...
, serving at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
from 1877 to 1881. He was attending Hayes' successor,
James A. Garfield, when Garfield was shot in 1881, and was present at his death in
Elberon, New Jersey
Elberon is an unincorporated community that is part of Long Branch in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07740.
As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP ...
. He became a
major
Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...
in the Adjutant General's Department in June 1880, serving in the Department of the South and the
Department of the Missouri
The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars.
History
Background
Following the successful ...
. He was promoted to
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...
in June 1889, serving in the Department of Arizona, the Adjutant General's Office in Washington, and the Department of the East. In May 1896 he returned to the Adjutant General's Department in Washington as a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
.
He was elevated to Adjutant General of the U. S. Army with the rank of
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
in February 1898. He was promoted to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
in June 1900. He took command of the newly created Division of the Atlantic in January 1904, then was given command of the Division of the Philippines in November 1904. He took command of the Northern Division in February 1906 and was promoted to
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
in April 1906, making him the senior ranking officer on active duty in the U.S. Army. He retired in September 1906, and died in September 1909 in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
He is buried in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
His portrait was painted at least twice by the Swiss-born American artist
Adolfo Müller-Ury
Adolfo Müller-Ury, KSG (March 29, 1862 – July 6, 1947) was a Swiss-born American portrait painter and impressionistic painter of roses and still life.
Heritage and early life in Switzerland
He was born Felice Adolfo Müller on 29 March ...
, once in 1899, and again in 1904, the latter of which was donated by Mrs Edythe Patten Corbin to the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. in 1941, transferred to National Portrait Gallery in 1971.
[It was reproduced in ''The Broadway Magazine'', March 1904, p. 455 (reproduced as Major-General Corbin).]
Military awards
*
Civil War Campaign Medal
The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865.
...
*
Indian Campaign Medal
The Indian Campaign Medal is a decoration established by War Department General Orders 12, 1907.
*
Spanish War Service Medal
The Spanish War Service Medal was a United States military medal of the U.S. Army which was established by an act of the U.S. Congress on 9 July 1918 (40 Stat. 873). The medal recognizes those members of the Army and of the U.S. Volunteers who per ...
*
Philippine Campaign Medal
The Philippine Campaign Medal is a medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military men in the Philippine–American War between the years of 1899 and 1913. Although a single service medal, the Philippin ...
See also
*
List of Adjutant Generals of the U.S. Army
This list of Adjutants General of the United States Army lists the chief administrative officer of the Army, from 1775 to present.
List
References
Further reading
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*
*{{cite book , title= A Brief History of the Adjutant General's Departm ...
References
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Further reading
*
External links
Arlington National Cemetery*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbin, Henry Clark
1842 births
1909 deaths
Adjutants general of the United States Army
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
People from Clermont County, Ohio
People of Ohio in the American Civil War
Union Army officers
United States Army generals